>> for a copy of the program -- >> president obama pushes for congress to deal with legislation. then the british foreign secretary. nixon, the wife of richard nixon. that is that it 9:00 eastern. the 1960's were different.

[applause] and there were a lot of things happening involving race, the breakdown, the structure in society. i was suddenly out of seminary and in new blood. there were no rules. eggs were falling apart. and without structure. it is very difficult to navigate. to beextremely fortunate at holy cross. i was extremely fortunate to still have had a residual him -- uum of the way i had raised, and the structure the seminary had given me. i was fortunate because i had been in predominately white schools. i was the only black in my high school in savanna. the transition to a school with very few blacks in a very

circumstances,f academically and otherwise, i had a jumpstart. i was ahead of the game. i had something. it allowed the two continued to do well, even though it was very difficult. fromanksgiving, here clarence thomas at 9:00 p.m. followed by elena kagan at 9:45 p.m. also, for days of book tv on c- 2, thursday at 9:30. the 150th anniversary of the gettysburg address. the presidentas spoke at the dedication of the cemetery in gettysburg. at four clock and 10:00 p.m. obama spoke in san francisco about changing

immigration laws. was confronted by protesters. this is 30 minutes. . ["hail to the chief" plays] [cheers] hello, everybody. hello, san francisco. it is great to be with all of you. i love san francisco.

you've got great food. you've got great people. what beautiful scenery. no more super villains. batkid cleaned up the streets. [cheers and applause] i love batkid. i want to start by thanking her for the wonderful introduction and the great work she has been doing. give her a round of applause. your mayor, lieutenant governor gavin, newsom. i want to recognize some wonderful members of congress who are fighting every day for the people of california, mike honda --

judy chu, they are doing that work every single day. napolitano, now overseeing the entire uc system and will be doing a great job. we nester back in washington. -- we miss her back in washington. she is going to be outstanding leaving the university of california. before i begin, i want to say a few words about the news problem over the weekend. i am here to talk about immigration reform. i am also here in my capacity as commander in chief. this weekend together with our allies and partners the united states mets an agreement with iran on the nuclear program. some of you may recall that when

i first ran for president i said it was time for a new era of new american leadership in the world, one that turned the page on a decade of war and began a new era of our engagement with the world. as president and commander in chief, i have done what i said. we ended the war in iraq. we brought our troops home. osama bin laden met justice. the war in afghanistan will end next year. as the strongest nation on the face of the earth, we engaged in clear-eyed, principled diplomacy even with our adversaries in order to begin to deal with serious chemical weapons and to place the first rookie constraints than a decade. and to place the first real constraint in a decade on a iran's nuclear program. i firmly believe in what president kennedy once said. he said let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. i believe that. this diplomacy, backed by the

unprecedented sanctions we brought on iran have brought us the progress that we've achieved this weekend. for the first time in a decade, we've halted the progress on iran's nuclear program. key parts of the program will be rolled back. international inspectors will have unprecedented access to iran's nuclear-related facilities. so this will help keep iran from building a nuclear weapon. over the coming months we will continue our diplomacy with the goal of achieving a comprehensive solution that deals with the threat of iran's nuclear program once and for all. and if iran seizes the opportunity and chooses to join the global community, then we can begin to chip away with the mistrust that has existed for many years between our two nations. none of that's going to be easy. huge challenges remain, but we cannot close the door on diplomacy and we cannot rule out

peaceful solutions for the world's problems. the cannot commit ourselves to an endless cycle. tough talk may be the easy thing to do politically, but it is not the right thing for our security. it is not the right thing for our security. [applause] this progress and the potential it offers reminds us of what is possible when the united states has the courage to lead. not just with the force of arms, but with the strength of diplomacy and our commitment to peace. that's what keeps us strong. that's what makes us a beacon for the world. that's how i will continue to lead so long as i'm president of the united states. in that spirit, not just what we can criticize or tear down or be against, but what we can build together, that's what brings me here today. because it's long past time to fix our broken immigration system.

we need to make sure washington finishes what so many americans just like you started. we got to finish the job, and it's fitting that we are here in chinatown, just a few miles away from angel island. in the early 1900's, about 300,000 people, maybe some of your ancestors, passed through on their way to a new life in america. for many, it represented the end of a long and arduous journey. they finally arrived in a place where they believed anything was possible. for some, it also represented the beginning of a new struggle against prejudice in a country that didn't always treat its immigrants fairly or afford them the same rights as everybody else.

the asians faced this, but so did the irish, so did italians, and so did jews, and many groups still do today. that didn't stop those brave men and women from coming. they were drawn by a belief in the power of opportunity. a belief that said, maybe i never had a chance at a good education, but this is a place where my daughter can go to college. maybe i had to start out washing dishes, but this is a place where my son can become mayor of san francisco. maybe i have to make sacrifices today, but those sacrifices are worth it if it means a better life for my family. and that's a family story that will be shared by millions of

americans around the table on thursday. it's the story that drew my great, great, great grandfather from a small village in ireland, and drew my father from a small village in kenya. it's a story that drew so many of your ancestors here, that america is a place where you can make it if you try. and here's something interesting. today, more than one in four residents born outside the united states came here from asian countries. many through our family immigration system. they are doctors, business owners, laborers, refugees. this rec center's namesake, betty ong, was a hero on 9/11. [applause]

she was also the daughter of immigrants who grew up not far from here, and we are honored to have her family with us here today. [applause] but too often when we talk about immigration, the debate focuses on our southern border. the fact is we are blessed with immigrants from all over the world. who have put down roots in every corner of this country. here in san francisco, 35% of business owners are immigrants. your economy is among the fastest-growing in the country. that's not an accident. that's the impact that our talented, hard-working immigrants can have. that's the difference they can make. they are hungry and they are striving and they are working hard. and they are creating things that weren't there before. and that's why it is long past

time to reform an immigration system that right now doesn't serve america as well as it should. we could be doing so much more to unleash our potential, if we just fix this aspect of our system. i know out here in california, you watch the news and you share the country's not very sunny view of washington these days. for the last few months, you've seen a lot of headlines about gridlock and partisan bickering, and too often, one faction of one party in one house of congress has chosen courses of action that end up harming our businesses or our economy or our workers. or they want to refight old political battles rather than create jobs, grow the economy, and strengthen the middle class, or take 40 more votes to undermine and repeal the affordable care act. instead of passing a single serious jobs bill.

despite the fact that americans want us to focus on jobs, business, and growth, and by the way, thousands of californians are signing up every day for new health care plans. [applause] so even as we're getting this darn website up to speed -- and it's getting better -- states like california are proving the law works. people want the financial security of health insurance. and even if you're already insured, reach out to a friend or neighbor and help them get covered. when it comes to immigration reform, we have to have the confidence to believe we can get this done, and we should get it done. by the way, most americans agree. the only thing standing in our

way right now is the unwillingness of certain republicans in congress to catch up with the rest of the country. i met the other day with the ceo's of some of america's biggest companies. i'm positive not all of them voted for me. [laughter] i'm pretty sure. some of them, but definitely not all of them. but the thing they wanted to talk about, their top priority was the fact that we invite the brightest minds from around the world to study here, many of them enrolled in the university of california system, and then we don't invite them to stay. we end up sending them home to create new jobs and start new businesses someplace else. so we're training our own competition. rather than invite those incredibly talented young people to stay here and start businesses, create jobs here.

i hear from folks have been separated from their families for years because of green card backlogs, desperately wanting their loved ones to be able to join them here in america. i hear from young dreamers who are americans through and through in every way but on paper, and they just want a chance to study and serve him contribute to the nation they love. [applause] i talked to business owners who play by the rules and get frustrated because they end up being undercut by those who exploit workers in a shadow economy. they are required to meet the same obligations.

those companies end up losing out on business. right now, i'm seeing brave advocates who have been fasting for two weeks in the shadow of the capital, sacrificing themselves in an effort to get congress to act. i want to say to my friend from sciu and the other fasters, i want you to know we hear you, we are with you. the whole country hears you. there are plenty of leaders, democratic republican, who don't think it is fair that we got 11 million people in this country, including more than a million from asia, with no real way to come forward and get on the right side of the law. it's not smart, it's not fair, it doesn't make sense. we have kicked this particular can down the road long enough, and everyone knows it. the good news is, we know what the solutions are. there is bipartisan hope of getting it done. this year, the senate passed an immigration reform bill by a wide bipartisan majority and it addresses the key issues that need to be addressed.

it would strengthen our borders. it would level the playing field by holding employers accountable if they knowingly hire undocumented workers. it would modernize our legal immigration system so we eliminate the backlog of family visas and make it easier to attract highly skilled entrepreneurs from beyond our borders. it would make sure that everybody plays by the same rules, by providing a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are living in the shadows. a path that includes passing a background check and learning english and paying taxes and getting in line behind everyone trying to come here the right way. each of these pieces would go a long way towards fixing our broken immigration system. each of them has been supported by democrats and republicans in the past. there is no reason we can't come together and get it done. what's more, we know the immigration reform we are proposing would boost our economy and shrink our deficits.

economists have said if the senate bill became law over the next two decades, our economy would grow by $1.4 trillion more and would reduce our deficits by $850 billion more. you don't have to be an economist to figure out that workers will be more productive if the got their families here with them. they're not worried about deportation. this isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. democratic and republican governors -- just because all that is in place doesn't mean will actually get it done, because this is washington, after all, that were talking about. everything is looked through a political prism. let's be honest. some folks automatically think

if obama is for it, then i've got to be against it. even if i was before that, i was for it. but i want to refined everybody, to his great credit, my republican predecessor, president bush, was for reform. i was in the senate, i joined 23 senate republicans back in supporting reform. it's worth remembering that the senate bill that just passed one won more than a dozen republican votes. some even forget, i'm not running for office again. michelle doesn't forget. 1 so you don't have to worry about this somehow being good for me. this is good for the country. it's the right thing to do for the american people. and i believe ultimately, not only in the short term, but

ultimately, good policy is good politics. look at the polls right now. the american people support immigration reform. by a clear majority. everybody wins if we get this done. but there's no reason we shouldn't get immigration reform done right now. if there is a good reason, i haven't heard it. by the way, if there's a better plan out there than the one democrats and republicans have already advanced together, if there are additional ideas that would make it even better, i'm always willing to listen to new ideas. my door is always open. but right now it's up to republicans in the house to decide if we can move forward as a country on this bill. if they don't want to see it happen, they've got to explain why. the good news is, just this past week, speaker boehner said that he is hopeful we can make progress on immigration reform. and that is good news.

i believe the speaker is sincere. i think he genuinely wants to get it done. and that's something we should be thankful for this week. and i think there are number of other house republicans who also want to get this done. some of them are hesitant to do it in one big bill like the senate did. that's ok, it's thanksgiving, we can carve that bird into multiple pieces. as long as all the pieces get done, soon, and we actually deliver on the core values we have been talking about for so long, i think everybody is fine with it. they're not worried about the procedures, they just want to results. but it's going to require some courage. there are some members of the republican caucus who think this is bad politics form back home, and they are free to vote their conscience, but what i've said to the speaker and others, don't let a minority of you folks

block something the country desperately needs. we can't leave this problem for another generation to solve. if we don't tackle this now, we are undercutting our own future. so my message to congress is rather than create problems, problems, let's prove washington can get something done. this is something that has broad-based support. we've been working on it for a decade now. this reform comes as close as we've gotten to something that will benefit everybody, now and for decades to come, and it has the potential to enrich this country in ways we can't even imagine. i will just give you one example. andrew lee is here today. where is andrew? he has an amazing story. he grew up in vietnam, and he and his four brothers tried

three times to flee to the united states. obviously the country was going through all kinds of difficulties. so three times they tried, three times they failed. on the fourth try, their boat, filled with 140 refugees, was attacked by pirates. but they and their family eventually made it to malaysia and then they eventually made here to san francisco, and they learned english. they worked as handymen and seamstresses, and eventually andrew and his brothers had earned enough money to buy a small bakery. the started making doughnuts. and they started selling them to chinese restaurants. with a lot of hard work and a little luck, the sugar bakery today is a $60 million business. [applause]

so these humble and striving immigrants from vietnam now employ more than 300 americans. they are supplying pastry to costco in safeway almost every hotel and hospital in san francisco. i don't know if andrew brought me any samples. [laughter] they must be pretty good. andrew says we came here with nothing, so we don't take things for granted. we know this is the best country in the world if you work hard. america is a place where you can reach for something better if you work hard. it is a country our parents and grandparents in waves of immigrants before them built for us. and it falls on each new generation to keep it that way.

the statue of liberty doesn't have its back to the world. the statue of liberty faces the world. and raises its light to the world. when chinese immigrants came to this city in search of gold mountain, they were not looking just for physical riches. they were looking for freedom and opportunity. they knew that what makes us american is not a question of what we look like or what our names are, because we look like the world. you've got a president named obama. [laughter] [applause]

what makes us american is our shared belief in certain enduring principles. our allegiance to a set of ideals, to a creed, to the enduring promise of this country, and our shared responsibility is to leave this country more generous, more hopeful than we found it. and if we stay true to that history, if we get immigration reform across the finish line, and it is there, just within our grasp, if we can just get folks in washington to go ahead and do what needs to be done, we're going to grow our economy, we are going to make our country more secure. we will strengthen our families, and most importantly, we will live up to our character as a nation. >> [indiscernible]

>> that's exactly what we are talking about. that's why we are here. please, at the same time, you have the power to -- >> actually, i don't. and that's why we're here. [indiscernible] don't worry about it, guys. these guys don't need to go. let me finish. he can stay there. hold on a second.

i respect the passion of these young people. they feel deeply about the i respect the passion of these young people. they feel deeply about the concerns for their families. now, what you need to know, when i'm speaking as president of the united states, and i come to this community, is that if, in fact, i could solve all these problems without passing laws in congress, then i would do so. but we're also a nation of laws. that's part of our tradition. and so the easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like i can do something by violating our laws. what i'm proposing is the harder path, which is to use our democratic process to achieve the same goal that you want to achieve, but it won't be as easy as just shouting. it requires a lobby and getting it done.

[applause] so for those of you who are committed to getting this done, i am going to march with you and fight with you every step of the way to make sure that we are welcoming every striving, hard- working immigrant to see america the same way we do, as a country where, no matter who you are and what you look like or where you come from, you can make it if you try. and if you're serious about making that happen, i'm ready to work with you. but it is going to require work. it is not simply a matter of us just saying were going to violate the law. that's not our tradition. the great thing about this country is we have this wonderful process of democracy, and sometimes it's messy, and sometimes it's hard, but ultimately, justice and truth wins out.

that's always been the case in this country and that's going to continue to be the case today. thank you very much, everybody. god bless you, and god bless america. ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> during the president is a story trip to china, mrs. nixon accompanied him. noticed how she was looking at a package of cigarettes. they had pandas on them. the package. he was admiring that. admiredstands you also the pandas at the zoo. she said, yes. he says, we will make sure you have pandas to go home with. for her tortant uphold and support her husband. just her being there would bring

so much goodwill. there was always evidence at the end of the trips, where the news reports would come out. they would talk about the president this way. aey would always say what wonderful job pat nixon did. >> first make -- first lady pat nixon tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern. >> now, british foreign secretary william hague outlines an interim deal reached with iran on its nuclear program. speaking at the house of commons, secretary haig said britain would be on guard for any country trying to disrupt the agreement. this part of his remarks is 30 minutes.

>> we will leave this discussion to go to the house of commons in london. william hague will discuss the nuclear deal. >> i reported to the house on the negotiations in geneva. i explained then that iran was to produce a first step agreement. we could create the confidence for a comprehensive settlement, addressing all concerns about the nuclear program. we have always been clear that because iran's program is so extensive and crucial aspects have been concealed in the past, any agreement would have to be detailed and give assurance to the whole world that the price would be properly addressed. we believe that such a deal was on the table. we would do our utmost to bridge the narrow gap between the party

and conclude a strong agreement. on wednesday last week, the iranian negotiations resumed their work in geneva. on saturday morning, i joined the talks. at 4:00 yesterday, we concluded the negotiations successfully. we agreed on a first stage agreement, which is a significant step toward enhancing the security of the middle east and preventing nuclear proliferation worldwide. in this statement, i will cover the extensive commitments that iran has made and the sanction relief that has been offered in return. also, the steps that we will build on what has been agreed. we have agreed to a joint plan of action with iran, within a goal of a comprehensive settlement. it will show that the program is the agreement has a duration of six months and is renewable by mutual consent. it sets of actions to be taken by both sides of the first steps. also, the elements to be created for a final set amount. i have placed a copy in the library. i wish to highlight its most important aspects. iran has made significant commitments. over the next six months, they will cease enrichment of uranium. it becomes much easier to

produce weapons grade uranium. it will also eradicate its stockpile. it is enriched above five percent. they will dilute it to less than five percent and convert the remaining half to oxide. iran will not install further centrifuges or start operating installed centrifuges that have not yet been switched on. it will only replace existing centrifuges with centrifuges of the same type. they will only produce centrifuges to replace damaged, existing machines. in other words, they will not install or bring into operation advanced centrifuges that could enable it to produce a dangerous level of enriched uranium more quickly. they will cap their stockpile of up to five percent uranium.

they will convert any nuclear enriched uranium and to oxide. it will not set up any new locations for enrichment or establish a reprocessing or reconvergence facility. they have agreed to an enhanced monitoring program of their program. this includes access to centrifuge assembly workshops and two uranium mines and mills. iran will also provide us with additional information, including its plans for nuclear facilities. there is a facility that offers a potential route to nuclear weapons, through the production of plutonium. iran will not commission the reactor. they will not send heavy water to the site. they will not produce more fuel for the reactor or install any remaining components to the reactor. this agreement means that the elements of the nuclear program, that present the greatest risk, cannot make progress. in other words, if iran

implements the deal in good faith, it cannot use these routes to move closer to art obtaining nuclear weapons capabilities. moreover, some of the most dangerous elements are not only frozen, but actually rolled back. the agreement involves 200 kilograms of enriched uranium that have been built up and stockpiled for several years. second, in return for these commitments, they will receive limited sanctions relief from the united states and the european union. for its part, the united states will pull efforts to reduce crude oil sales. they will repatriate some of its relief. they will allow licensing of state repairs for airlines.

they will establish a financial channel for legitimate trade, including payment to international organizations and iranians studying abroad great. we will suspend since sanctions on oil. this will allow for services to third states on oil. we will also suspend the prohibition of transfer of petrochemical products and suspend blocks on imports of gold and precious metals. the core sanctions on oil and gas will remain in place. we will also increase the authorization threshold for financial sanctions for humanitarian trade with iran. the council administers will amend the sanctions and new provisions will apply to all eu member states. this is estimated to cost $7 billion. there will be no new sanctions adopted. however, the bulk of international sanctions on iran will remain in place. this includes the oil embargo,

which restricts oil purchases from iran. ballistic missile related goods and technologies -- including frozen revenue in accounts outside of iran, including the central bank. all iranian assets remain frozen. iranian leaders and key individuals have their assets frozen. they will be banned from traveling to the eu and u.s. they cannot use financial messaging services of banks. these sanctions will not be lifted until a settlement is reached. we will enforce them all robustly. iran still has a powerful incentive to reach a comprehensive solution. that is the third aspect of the agreement. the agreement sets up the elements of a comprehensive solution.

it will conclude within one year. these elements include the rights and obligations under the nonproliferation treaty. the full resolution concerns related to the heavy water research reactor -- monitoring, including additional protocol. in return for full confidence by the international community, the plan of action includes an enrichment program with limits. it is part of a comprehensive agreement where nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. this comprehensive solution, if and when agreed, will lead to

the listing of all un security council sanctions, as well as multilateral sanctions related to iran's nuclear program. reaching this interim agreement was a difficult and painstaking process. there is a huge amount of work to be done to implement it. implementation will begin following technical discussions with iran. we hope that the sanctions will be concluded by the end of january. a joint commission will be established to monitor the implementation of these measures. we will work to resolve

outstanding issues. the fact that we have achieved, for the first time in nearly a decade, an agreement that rolls back their nuclear program, should give us heart that this work can be done and a comprehensive agreement can be attained. on an issue of such complexity, and given the fact that any agreement would be worthwhile, it has to involve compromises. such an agreement is bound to have critics. we are right to test their readiness to act in good faith. to work with the rest of the international community and to enter into agreements. if they do not abide by that

commitment, they will bear a heavy responsibility. if we did not take the opportunity to attempt such an agreement, then we ourselves would be guilty of a grave error. if we did not have this agreement, the pressure would not be alleviated at all. it is also true that there would be no restraint on advancements. no block on their centrifuges or barrier to prevent them from bringing into operation there heavy water reactor. no limitation on the many actions which could take them closer to a nuclear weapons capability. the bringing together of this agreement was all by permanent members of united nations security council. it sends a powerful signal. it is only a beginning, but there is no doubt that this is

an important, necessary, and completely justified step. the restrictions give us the time to negotiate a conference of settlement. i pay tribute to my foreign minister colleagues and our foreign office staff, who played an indispensable role. we will apply the same rigor and determination that we have shown in these negotiations to the implementation of the agreement and to the search for a conference of settlement. at the same time, we will continue to be open to improvements. we will visit iran shortly. this agreement has shown that the combination of asher expressed in her sanctions, coupled with readiness to negotiate, is the right policy. it has been the united approach of this country to pursue negotiations. there is cross party support. we have been steadfast in first doing this two party policy. we are seeking a peaceful solution. this is true to that approach. this will remain our policy over the coming months. as we build on and implement this third step on the long journey to making the middle east and the whole world safer from nuclear proliferation. >> can i thank the foreign secretary for his statement? the foreign secretary was generous enough to end his remarks by recognizing the reality of the bipartisan

approach. to characterize this house and this country?s approach over recent years, including by my right honorable friend. let me echo that and add that all of those involved in the geneva negotiations, including the foreign secretary, deserve real credit for their role in securing this deal. in particular, the work of the european union. cathy ashton has been fundamental. indispensable to the agreement that was finally reached. we on the house feel pride in the role the baroness ashton has played. she has shown -- we offer our

sincere congratulations. we do stand united in believing that they were developing nuclear weapons. the deal agreed in geneva was necessary and important. iran has, over recent years, proceeded with its enrichment program. this is not a perfect deal, nor is it guaranteed to lead to a comprehensive resolution. based on the secretary's statement, it appears to address a number of terms. first, it caps every aspect of their nuclear program. second, it includes strong mechanisms. third, it does not concede that they have a right to enrich. i would like to ask about each of these three points. you will be aware that the

agreement does not call for a plan. what steps are envisaged to ensure that this facility is ultimately decommissioned? the secretary made reference to the heavy water research reactor. you specified access for the inspectors. the deal does not set out the frequency with which inspectors will have access. can you give us further details? the foreign secretary did not mention -- nor did the final text. the deal requires iran to allow access to the base where they are suspected of detonating weapons. there has been much speculation over the last 24 hours about the absence of the phrase "right to enrich."

could the foreign secretary explain the understanding of whether the absence specifies a difference or whether this is a shared understanding on the issue? the speaker seeks to prevent iran from furthering its enrichment program. they could also ease the pressure on iran and invite a comprehensive resolution. given this risk, can the foreign secretary state how you will prevent that outcome and what steps will continue negotiations on a comprehensive deal within the time frame set out? the sanctions relief is effective immediately.

it is a necessary step to secure the concessions. pressure must still be maintained. can the secretary offer the house what the next effect will be? as of yesterday, around the capabilities being extended, that is welcomed. this interim agreement does not prevent future progress. he would be far better to secure all enrichment and all relative facilities. one key test of this interim agreement is whether it has been agreed in principle and can be put into practice. keeping sanctions tight and verification intrusive and all options on the table. a second test will be whether this can be translated into the comprehensive agreement. building on the agreement this weekend, to a final resolution. this agreement, however, will give us the time and flexibility to negotiate that much more

difficult and complex final agreement to dismantle much of iran's nuclear program. the government can be assured that it will have our support. >> i am grateful for the support of the right honorable gentleman. there has indeed been a bipartisan approach for a long time. he is quite right to say at the end of his remarks about the importance of keeping sanctions tight. this is very important. indeed, the pressure to reach the comprehensive agreement -- he is right that there is no such agreement that can be perfect. it is the product of negotiations and compromise. nor is it guaranteed to lead to a comprehensive agreement. it is, in my judgment, the only way to a conference of agreement. while it is the criticism that some have made that we should have concentrated on moving straight to a final and comprehensive agreement, from

everything i have seen -- it would not have been possible to do that. while we were negotiating such a conference of agreement, the progress of the program that is now brought to a stop would have continued. this is a crucial step on the way to a comprehensive agreement. it makes it possible to set about negotiating them. he asked for specific questions about how this relates to the plants. there are specific references in the agreement. iran announces that it will not make any further advances of its activities. the fuel enrichment plants that each -- a footnote on the second page of the agreement. it provides for specific provisions. no further enrichment over five percent. not feeding iranian hexa fluoride into the others and so

on. there are specific requirements on the plan. that is the case in each of these plans. the longer-term future -- including whether some of them operate at all, it's up to the final comprehensive agreement. that has to be addressed at that stage. he asked about -- this remains a point of difference between iaea and iran. this is another aspect of the program that must be addressed as part of a comprehensive final settlement. and he asked about the urgency. it is important to put the $7 billion of relief into perspective. he referred to the $7 billion being effective immediately. actually, the $7 billion of section relief is available over the period of the six months. when that begins, which we hope is the end of january, a good deal is the unfreezing of assets. they will be unfrozen in stages. they do not receive $7 million on the first day.

it is important to have that $7 billion in perspective. in january, the oil minister sees a fall in exports. between $4 billion and $8 billion every month. reports suggested that they have between $60 billion and $100 billion of assets frozen overseas. the $7 billion of relief is a very small proportion of the total frozen assets and total effect of sanctions applied to iran. that is why i say that the way that we are doing the sanctions relief leaves iran with a huge incentive. they want wider relief from sanctions. that will help to maintain the urgency. of course, all of our diplomatic activities, which we will now seek to maintain the momentum behind this agreement -- as we do want to negotiate the comprehensive settlement, we will convey that urgency as well.

you can be assured that we will leave no stone unturned. >> may i just briefly offer my tribute to the right honorable gentleman. it can fairly be said that he was not met with universal approval. in the light of mr. netanyahu's public response to this agreement, what assessment does my right honorable friend make of the risk of israel taking some unilateral action, which might have the effect of undermining the agreement? what representations has he made to the israeli government against taking such action? >> the prime minister has discussed during the

negotiations over the last week of this agreement -- i think it is important to understand the concerns about any agreement. but it is also very important to explain to them, to ask them, what the alternative to this agreement would be. the alternative would involve iran getting nuclear weapons or having a nuclear weapon. so, we have to be very clear that this is a compelling argument for the agreement. of course, we would discourage anybody in the world, including israel, from taking any steps that would undermine this agreement. we will make that very clear.

>> mr. jack straw? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the speaker and my right honorable friend on the bench there. it is my turn to express my appreciation to the secretary for the personal interest which you put into this. recognition of the fact that the iranians are the toughest negotiators. they extract every last ounce of negotiations in the world. if he accepts, it is crucial that what undermined the agreements which we have made between 2003 and 2006 -- there was a desperate patch that was developed between hard-line iran and hard-liners in washington. we ended up in a situation where they were replaced by president ahmadinejad. can i ask this? it is that prime minister netanyahu's efforts and then -- the united states congress, prevented president obama from

continuing with the negotiations. will he make clear that in these circumstances, the u.k., germany, france, and the eu will have to detach themselves from america and reach their own conclusions? >> i agree with them. i agree with his remarks. it is important to maintain momentum. over the last two weeks, during the 10 daygcap the between negotiations that we held -- it brought to a great deal of criticism. both within iran and within the u.s. congress and elsewhere in the world. this could easily have made

things complicated. they reached this agreement this weekend. so, when one considers the work that needs to go into this agreement and the comprehensive and final agreement, it is vitally important to maintain that momentum all the way. the agreements that the united states have made can all be implemented by executives. that does not mean that the debates in congress are over. what happens in the u.s. congress is up to the united states. you can be sure that the administration is extremely

strongly committed to this. the leadership and persistence of secretary kerry has been crucial. the clarity of president obama it is very clear. we do not need at this point to start looking at the other scenarios. we do not need to act separately from the united states. >> you can heal to hear more from the british house of commons wednesday. questions at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span two. >> tonight --

next, c-span's first ladies. efforts indiplomacy muslim countries. summers.ry ♪ [applause] >> i stay in the wings and do not come out too often. this is quite unusual for me. i do want to thank all of you for your friendship and your loyal support and for the planning of this wonderful evening for me. i shall remember it always. and thanks to the young people for this great welcome.